About the role
A Day in Your Life at MKS:
The role of an Applications Development Engineer at ESI is, in coordination with the product marketing team, to define, develop, and characterize processes on relevant materials using ESI laser drill platforms and to support our customers in developing application solutions and transferring them to a manufacturing environment. This position will directly support efforts towards the successful introduction of new, CO₂ laser based ESI laser drill platforms into the HDI / ICP market space.
Position Summary
The System Applications Engineer at ESI collaborates closely with the product marketing team to define, develop, and optimize printed circuit board (PCB) processing using ESI laser drilling systems. This role supports the development of tailored processing solutions for customer applications and ensures smooth transition into manufacturing environments. The engineer will play a key role in introducing new CO₂ laser systems into the HDI/ICP market.
Key Responsibilities
- Evaluate performance of material processing and inspection processes (accuracy, throughput, etc.)
- Support application group activities related to evaluation of existing products
- Propose innovative solutions and laser processes for new applications by leveraging company expertise
- Optimize processes using DOE (Design of Experiments) methodology
- Conduct inspection evaluations using various tools (microscope, SEM, etc.)
- Analyze data using relevant statistical and image analysis software
- Manage development based on ESI’s standard application evaluation methods
- Participate in maintenance of required test equipment
- Engage in customer-facing activities and contribute to new application development
- Collaborate with marketing, sales, service, and engineering teams to optimize customer processes
- Provide customer support, system demonstrations, and application development assistance
- Support system engineering tasks including technical negotiations related to production equipment design, architecture, software logic, special customer requirements, and integration with external material handling systems
- Communicate and report with domestic teams and U.S. headquarters
- Travel domestically and internationally (e.g., Portland, OR; Singapore)
Qualifications Required
- Bachelor’s degree in Mechatronics, Electrical, or Mechanical Engineering, or 5+ years of relevant experience
- Experience in laser process development and laser-material interaction
- Technical experience with manufacturing and inspection equipment used in mass production
- Strong problem-solving skills and initiative
- Customer-facing experience, analytical ability, and communication skills
- Native-level Japanese proficiency and business-level English (reading, writing, speaking)
Preferred
- Experience with CO₂ or UV lasers in the PCB/FPC market
- Knowledge of optical and scanning subsystems
- Programming skills in Python, Matlab, or similar languages
Work Environment
- PPE required as per safety regulations when necessary
- Occasional exposure to mechanical parts, vibration, and noise
- Ability to lift items up to approximately 10 kg
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